Scorpions!!

[BettyB]

OK James when I stayed in PDC in March this year I was on Calle 26 which I think you said was near where you live. One night we had a medium brown visitor on the 3rd floor it was a good size scorpion. Would you say it was visitor because of the road construction or were we just lucky to have a visitor. How common are they. Jose our manager acted like he doesn't see them often. Come on tell the truth.

[Anna]

I've only seen four or five scorpions during my five years here in Playa. I think you were just lucky. They're not lethal, although people do react differently to a sting; it's often described as a strong bee sting.

[james]

They're insects, so they are somewhat unbounded, but there certainly are more of them in the jungle. They come out at night, so if you want to find one, go lifting rocks during the day.

I've been hit by one once. It was lying ambush in my mesh dive bag (the same one I need replaced, Christmas shoppers be advised, I like the Stahlsac Deluxe mesh backpack style...) It felt like a hammer hitting my finger. It throbbed for a while, and about three hours later, I couldn't tell which finger was hit. YMMV.

The most memorable encounter I've had is returning home (sleeping on a mattress on the floor at Mom's Hotel) and finding a little buddy waiting for me under the sheet. For some reason, I pulled the sheet back before getting in (passing out) and handled it with a sandal.

They creep me out a bit, but they are really non-threatening, mostly easily avoided, and remind me of my interesting surroundings.

[denisea]

We happened upon a scoprion upon our arrival at the villa we rented in Playacar during our last visit. It was a bit of surprise for everyone in our group. When we asked Carlos, the local gentleman who managed the property, he told us not to worry because their sting was not so bad. He said it was no worse than getting a shot of novacaine when you go to the dentist. This relieved us somewhat and made our next scorpion sighting less eventful.

[Skip&Judy]

A few years ago we visited Xcaret, and while putting on the required life vest to experience the underground river, one of our friends had a scorpion crawl out of the vest! The tour guide explained that sting from these scorpions can be compared to a bee sting, and certainly was nothing worse. He stated that Mexican children often keep them in tiny cages as pets! Not to worry! Enjoy this rare sighting! :P

[Bisoulou]

OK - I'm about 18 days away from my move, and I am taking my cats with me. I'm not so much concerned about the effect a scorpion would have on me, but I am terribly worried about what might happen if one of my cats should happen upon one. Undoubtedly, they'd be curious, try to play with it (or torture it rather) - have y'all had an experience like this with your cats? I do worry (although, given that my cats weigh almost as much as I do - haha - perhaps the effect would be similar. Hopefully, I'll never find out but did wish to ask.

Thanks!

[james]

I'm really curious about this whole traveling cats thing. I cannot imagine getting mine through it all.

Our big cat Todd has brought in 2 snakes, a bat that he nabbed out of air, countless tlacuaches, birds, mice and frogs, but I've never seen a problem with any of our cats and a scorpion.

I wouldn't sweat it.

[Cowgirl]

A bat, eh? Quite the bad cat. Congrats. The best Pookie has done is a salamander, which thankfully I rescued. Pookie was a little pissed but eventually she got over it.

I'm with James though... my poor Pookie can hardly stand a trip to the vet, which is only five minutes away. I cannot imagine taking her on a plane anywhere.

(btw -- I don't genuinely like the name "Pookie" but if you met her you would understand. She IS a Pookie. My other cat was named "Moon Pie." I didn't name Pookie, she did it to herself. And we're all fortunate to serve her.)

But on the scorpion topic... if you can't tell, I'm from Texas -- Houston more specifically -- and my dad has had a ranch out in Sealy since before I was born. Scorpions were a regular sight, unfortunately, and I ALWAYS heard they were poisonous. Perhaps poisonous but not enough to kill a human being? I do not know. Anyhow, I've never been stung, but my mom was, and my dad did one of those heroic "sucking out the venom" maneuvers. So honestly I really don't know if you can compare a scorpion bite to a bee sting... but I could be way off on this one.

What I DO know is that on our recent trip for our wedding (two weeks in September) I was completely blown away to hear that a five-inch long scorpion (okay the girls had been drinking a lot) had been found on the wall in the room of my two friends! They called my other friends, who were in the same building, who fished the thing off of the wall into a trash can and threw it outdoors. Upon hearing this I reacted in horror, "Well you DID kill the thing, didn't you??" to which they replied, "Um... yeah... sure." Goodness gracious. I am scared to death of the critters (no offense Critterman) and think of them as more desert-type insects. Really surprised to hear they live in PDC!

[Critter]

none taken. Scorpions do inject a poison with the sting. However the venom delivered is not in enough quantity to hurt most adults or pets. I wouldn't sit there and let one hammer away at me. According to the locals on Isla, the bigger the scorpion, the lest dangerous. It's the little ones you have to watch out for. Kids there on the Island, keep them as pets, after removing the stingr.

They like playing tricks with them, like putting them in the laundry for mom, on the schooldesk for the teacher, you know kids pranks.[/size]

[james]

I knew a guy that used to smoke the venom sack. Said it packed a wicked buzz.

I've heard the same thing about the little ones being the bad ones. I'm not going to do a taste test on that one.

[dougie46]

James,
Sounds like you know some "colorful"people.... :lol: :lol: